11reasonsShinoHinata
by Raziel the Selkie
Summary: Silence stretched out between them. Then, very slowly, Shino's hand lifted towards his face and rested against spectacle of his shades. Hinata looked towards him curiously, wondering what lay underneath. She would see Shino-kun without his glasses after all, and something made her heart flutter that this would be their little secret, something that was only between the two of them.
1. Chapter 1

1\. Smile/Smirk/Grin

Hinata often wondered what lay behind Shino's glasses. A mysterious type of person that was usually calm and quiet, Shino wasn't very forthcoming when it came to topics about himself. However, Hinata believed that their teamwork could use some improvement in that area, though Hinata was always willing to listen to Shino when he was willing to speak. Some part of her never noticed Shino before, especially since her feelings for Naruto eclipsed any feelings she may have had towards Shino, though Hinata knew that Shino was reliable and he had confidence in her when other people didn't. She appreciated that about him, and this strengthened her resolve to get to know him better.

"Shino-kun?" Hinata said to the young Aburame teen.

She tried to peer at his side profile while he glanced towards her, though the angle that his glasses were positioned at made it impossible to see his eyes. Some people have even rudely claimed that Shino's eyes were probably multifaceted like a bugs, though Hinata didn't believe those rumors. She didn't like people who would spread gossip about someone to tear them down.

"Yes?" Shino finally said, as though he were in deep contemplation about something. Hinata's breath hitched in her throat.

"I was…wondering if you could, um…" Hinata said while poking her fingers together nervously and chewing her soft bottom lip out of nervousness. It was such a stupid request, an absurd request, and Shino probably wouldn't comply at all and maybe she would appear foolish in all this.

"Go on," Shino said.

"Do you think that…you could take off your glasses?" Hinata said in barely a whisper.

Shino's face remained inscrutable. Hinata bit her lip.

He thought she was stupid after all. Why would she want to see him without his glasses? Didn't she only have eyes for Naruto? And it was a selfish request, as Shino has never, in the times that he's known Kiba and Hinata, taken off his glasses around them.

"For you I would," Shino said slowly, though there seemed to be a hint of caution about him. "Though why?"

Hinata looked down at the ground. "I just…want to remember your face. Before I go on a long trip to train. To become stronger."

Silence stretched out between them. Then, very slowly, Shino's hand lifted towards his face and rested against spectacle of his shades. Hinata looked towards him curiously, wondering what lay underneath. She would see Shino-kun without his glasses after all, and something made her heart flutter that this would be their little secret, something that was only between the two of them.

When Shino removed his glasses, Hinata marveled at the sight.

He had the most beautiful eyes that she'd ever seen. Dark eyes with a vivid intensity that reflected a mature soul and a hidden strength.

Hinata was truly blessed to have this privilege.

"Your future wife would be very lucky," Hinata admitted, and Shino simply smiled towards her. His eyes crinkled slightly in amusement towards her, and Hinata found that she liked that very much.

"Hinata…" Shino said with a smile that was unusually mirthful for his usual stoic façade. "You do realize you could've used the Byakugan to see them, right?"

"Ah, well!" Hinata said, poking her fingers together. "If I did that…that would be an intrusion of privacy, don't you think? I know you don't like talking about yourself much, but…I just wanted to get to know you better."

"I appreciate you respecting my sense of privacy," Shino said, before he put his glasses on again. However, the small smile still lingered on his lips. "I hope you are satisfied."

"I am," Hinata said contentedly, looking towards the sunset, watching it settle with Shino.


	2. Chapter 2

2\. Frown/Pout

This wasn't like Shino. Though his face showed no outer expression, he was inwardly pouting. It seemed illogical for him to be feeling these emotions, this sense of jealousy towards Naruto, whom he cherished as a friend; but he couldn't help but feel that way when he saw Hinata hanging on his arm and focusing her lovely lavender gaze on Naruto. That special smile that she reserved only for Naruto—he wished it was directed his way.

Though who would love a bug freak like him? Maybe Shino would've had a chance with Hinata, if it weren't for the fact that he was very private and not very forthcoming with his emotions. He was cool, calm, logical, and always put up the façade of being in control, even when he was falling apart inside and the hive was humming with anger or ecstasy or even lust. Hinata Hyuuga was his obsession, though he cherished her happiness most of all, even more than her cherished his friendship with Naruto and cherished his own well being. Just once, Shino wanted to be selfish, he wanted to think about himself, but he cared about Hinata too much to steal her away from a man that she always had eyes for.

Sometimes he wondered if he deserved happiness as well. When Naruto and Hinata finally got married to one another, he left his words unspoken. It was better that way. The more logical thing to do. It was prudent that he didn't let his own emotions interfere with what was Hinata's happiness. But just once, he wanted to be selfish. He wanted to confess. It was tearing him up inside. And the hive within him swarmed and thrummed with restlessness.

Shino watched from the shadows. He was good at that, observing, being in the background. Being forgotten. He knew that Hinata wasn't so cold that she'd forget him, though Shino vowed that he would forget his childhood crush on her and all the romantic notions that he held towards her. From his innocent boyhood of wanting to hold hands with her and then in his later adolescence, leaving his sheets drenched with his uncontrollable wet dreams about her. He would keep all these feelings secret and contain them within himself. No one else knew, except himself and the hive within him.

 _She's better off with Naruto_ , Shino thought to himself. _He is a great partner for her. If I have to keep these feelings buried deep inside, then I will do so. For her sake._

So Shino continued on, suppressing this secret side of himself. He loved Hinata Hyuuga, and he would always watch over her. Shino Aburame buried his secrets deep into his heart, where only the hive speaking their chattering secret language, would whisper love melodies about Hinata Hyuuga in the murmurs of his heart.


	3. Chapter 3

Glare/Stare

The reason why Shino wore glasses was so that other people couldn't discern his expression as easily. For example, he easily got depressive when other people didn't pay attention to him or ignored him or forgot about him, and he was grateful for his glasses so they didn't see the tears pricking the corners of his eyes when he was feeling a swell of emotion. Today, however, Shino was glaring behind his glasses, the target of his antipathy being Kiba Inuzuka. Kiba was like a horse fly, circling around and looking for the best vulnerable place to bite and wouldn't relent on matter how many times that Shino tried to swat him away. His friendship with Kiba Inuzuka was something that he appreciated, as Kiba was one of the rare individuals who didn't ignore Shino or forgot about him, though at this moment, Shino wished for privacy and he glared behind his glasses through his tears.

"I wish to be alone right now," Shino said.

"There's something that's been bugging me about you," Kiba said as he put an arm around Shino's shoulders and leaned closer to him. "You seem a bit…off."

Shino stiffened, before he said in a tone colder than he intended. "It's none of your business."

"Getting awfully emotional there, aren't you, Shino?" Kiba said, and Shino suddenly wished that Kiba would stop pursuing this useless line of conversation and just leave him be. The hive swarmed within him in anger. "Look, you haven't been yourself ever since Hinata got married to Naruto. So tell me what's up."

"It's…nothing," Shino breathed, then suddenly feeling a depressive aura surround him. He told himself that he wouldn't cry, though he couldn't help himself. He didn't sniffle or whimper, though somehow, that Inuzuka knew that he was crying, and he hated that display of weakness. An Aburame must always bear himself with dignity, and Kiba managed to catch him in one of his vulnerable states like he had his pants dropped down his waist or something. Shino felt vulnerable, exposed, and he hated the raw emotion within him that wanted to scream and howl as the hive within him thrummed and seethed.

"You're lying," Kiba said, and Shino shrugged him off and tried to distance himself from his companion. Kiba just didn't know when to quit, and if Shino exposed the true reason why he was crying and angry, then everything would be ruined. He didn't want to ruin anything at this point. He wished for Hinata Hyuuga's happiness, that was his greatest wish, wasn't it? He promised himself he wouldn't be selfish, that he wouldn't reveal his true feelings to her that he loved her. Yet Kiba kept on circling around the topic until his unspoken words floated in his mind in maddening circles, like a planet decaying in its orbit.

"Listen, Kiba," Shino said, putting his hands into his pockets and staring down at the ground. "It's useless. What good does it do to bring up that subject over and over again?"

"You've got some unresolved feelings," Kiba said, expressing surprising insight for one who was so loud and boisterous and jumped into the action without thinking. "To tell you the truth, I…I had feelings for her too."

Shino paused.

"What makes you think that I had feelings for her?"

"I knew that you had feelings for her as far as when we first formed Team 8," Kiba said, before he gestured for Shino to sit down with him on a bench. Shino complied. "She really is something, isn't she? Naruto is one lucky bastard."

"What use is it to talk about these feelings? It would only cause unnecessary complications, and Hinata may never wish to speak with me again."

"It's killing you, right?" Kiba said with a sad smile that was all too knowing. "That the person that you love loves someone else. We always knew that she loved Naruto. But we didn't say anything out of respect of her feelings. So here we are now, discussing Hinata's marriage and having unresolved feelings. It sucks, you know? But you know, I don't hate Naruto or anything. He really did so much for this village. To make sure there was peace and we could live happily like this."

"I never could tell her," Shino said, suddenly blinking his tears away. Some kind of catharsis was unfolding here, discussing what he felt about Hinata Hyuuga with one of his best friends. "But really, it's all in the past. Why dwell on it? She's married. She's happy."

"But you're not happy, are you?" Kiba asked, and Shino lowered his head slightly.

"I cannot tell her," Shino said simply.

"Maybe not," Kiba said. "But we'll always watch over her, right? We're Team 8, after all. We've got one another's back. And you know I got your back too, right, Shino?"

Shino nodded.

"If I told her, maybe even once…"

"We're just two fools in love, aren't we?" Kiba said. "But everything will be okay. We will always be her friends."

"Of course," Shino said, suddenly feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. He made a promise, didn't he? That he'd always watch over Hinata Hyuuga. He was the one who believed her silently all these years, encouraging her and having faith in her when no one else seemed to. She really matured into a fine young woman, and Shino may have envied Naruto for his good fortune, he also was at peace with Hinata's happiness. He would watch over her, like promised, even if she never glanced in his direction the same way that she did with Naruto, because he loved her. And love was unselfish, wasn't it?


	4. Chapter 4

**Kiss**

Shino stoically endured a wound he received during a mission. It wasn't anything too serious, but enough to cause slight discomfort. However, as an Aburame, Shino bore it all with admirable stoicism. He detached himself from the pain—he acknowledged it, yet he didn't allow it to consume him. He simply let go of the pain and convinced himself he would let go of his feelings for Hinata Hyuuga as well. His feelings only grew stronger for her during their missions together as Team 8—and Shino was careless and allowed a stray kunai to scratch his shoulder. He pretended it never happened, though Hinata's Byakugan can see everything. She noticed his wound when they were scouting for insects for Shino to collect and Kiba was practicing his Dynamic Air Marking technique with Akamaru.

"Shino-kun," Hinata said as she presented a salve towards him. "I noticed the wound on your shoulder and…I made some medicine to help ease any pain."

"I'm all right," Shino said in that detached tone of his. "There's no need to concern yourself over me."

"Ah, but Shino!" Hinata said as her gaze went downwards and she looked anywhere except his eyes. "You're always looking out for me. I know you do. I know that you kept some of your bugs out on patrol so that I wouldn't be by myself, scouting that village. And you've…always supported me and believed in me. I didn't have to prove anything to you or Kiba. You two just…accepted me as I am. And I…I really appreciate that."

"You're our teammate," Shino said simply. "It's only natural that we look out for one another. It's to build camaraderie with one another."

"I know, but," Hinata bit her lip, wondering if she should say more. Her cheeks flushed prettily, and Shino found it harder to detach from his emotions and romantic longings for the pale girl with lavender eyes. "I just feel that I should thank you."

Shino said nothing, though his heart thundered in his chest and the hive scattered and collected together in their frenzy. He wanted her, but he could not touch her. He could not tell her what he felt. So he would let go of his emotions for her, he told himself, but it was getting harder and harder to resist.

"Um," Hinata said, blushing a little as she averted her gaze. "Could you…take off your jacket, Shino-kun? I need to apply the medicine."

Shino's mind went blank and everything about him short circuited. He knew the reason behind Hinata's request was for medical reasons, though asking him to strip off his jacket in front of her was something that his mind couldn't compute. None of them saw the other stripped down before, and Shino felt achingly vulnerable with his jacket to cover his body and to cover part of his face, shrouded in mystery. Everything seemed to become more suffocating.

Then, Shino slowly removed his jacket, exposing the bare shoulder where the kunai had slashed into him. Hinata then applied some of the medical cream on his shoulder, and the wound disappeared with a slight hiss. She really did have a talent for making medicines and salves—perhaps she could be a Medic one day, if she really applied herself. Then again, Shino knew that Hinata would grow up to become a fine young woman. He had faith in her. He knew that she would become more confident, strong, and sure of herself—she needed some guidance along the way, though Shino could help her become the woman that she always wanted to be.

Before Shino could even react to say thank you, Hinata leaned forward and kissed the spot where the wound had been. Shino flushed the slightest bit, and the hive within him hummed approvingly.

"Hinata?"

Hinata smiled pleasantly towards him. "My mother always used to say that if you kissed someone's boo boos, they would heal faster. It…sounds silly, I know."

"No, thank you," Shino said, quickly recovering from his flustered state. "I appreciate the gesture and sentiment. You're very thoughtful."

"Say, Shino-kun…" Hinata said, poking her fingers together. "Close your eyes. If you would…"

Shino closed his eyes, complying with Hinata's request. Something that startled him was feeling lips brush against his own, and Shino was flustered once more. The hive only seemed to hum and murmur with happiness, sensing their master's elation. Hinata blushed as well, before she poked her fingers together .

"Um…that was for good luck," Hinata said, her cheeks a solid red. "So…that you won't get hurt on the next mission. I don't want to see you hurt like that again…"

"I'll be fine," Shino said, before he inwardly reflected on his first kiss. His first kiss with Hinata; the one that he cherished and loved. An innocent, chaste kiss, but even that was enough for him. Just being with her was always enough.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hug/Glomp/Embrace**

"Shino-kun."

Shino turned to look at his lovely lavender eyed butterfly, the Hyuuga Heiress Hinata. Hinata poked her fingers together, the fringe of her bangs obscuring her lovely lavender eyes from view while she lowered her head in submission. She wanted to ask something of him, he knew that much, though he waited patiently for her to speak. He knew that Hinata was hesitant about asking for things for herself, as she was a giving spirit that thought of others rather than herself. Always worrying about someone else, always concerned for someone else, without her own thoughts and concerns and needs taken into consideration. It was admirable, though Shino would teach her that it would be all right to be a little selfish at times, as well.

"I would like to train with you," Hinata said while poking her fingers together after a long period of silence, a slight flush on her cheeks as though she asked something foolish or selfish. "I…I understand if you're busy or don't want to, though…"

Shino placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder to reassure her. "Not to worry. I'm always available for training, any time. I will willingly help out a teammate who requires assistance."

Her eyes brightened. The hive hummed approvingly. Smooth, they seemed to say.

Hinata didn't notice the sudden flush that overcame Shino's cheeks when she clasped her hands on Shino's slightly larger hand, gripping it warmly.

"T-Thank you very much, Shino-kun! I'll do my best, I promise. I want to train more so that I…so that I won't hold you and Kiba-kun back!"

The flush disappeared from Shino's cheeks and he maintained his usual composure when he said. "You work very hard, Hinata. I'm certain that your training will prove to be fruitful. Now, I know a little taijutsu myself after observing the likes of Neji Hyuuga, and you might want to widen your stance a little farther."

Hinata nodded before she got in position for her fighting stance, holding out her arms gracefully and spreading her legs further apart. Shino entered his own fighting stance as well, hyper aware of the details around him from the sweat starting to form a fine sheen across his forehead and the lazy hum of insects around them and within him.

Shino waited for Hinata to make the first move, and she did. He blocked her fingers from stabbing into his vital points, before he struck out at her, which she narrowly avoided by ducking. Her reflexes were getting sharper, more refined, and their movements in shifting battle stances was almost like a dance, of some sort. At one point Hinata became overeager and thrust forward with her palm. Shino got struck, and felt himself tumbling backwards; while Hinata was falling forwards onto him. Before he knew it, they crashed on the ground, and Shino found himself staring at Hinata's lovely blushing face when she realized what position they were in.

"Um…" Hinata said, flushing a little.

Before she had time to react, Shino grabbed her wrists and then rolled over so that he was the one mounting her. The hive growled in pleasure and Shino found himself wondering what came over him. The hive urged him to lean forward and kiss those cherry red lips, though Shino restrained himself. Damn the hive and his hormones! Even though Shino outwardly looked calm, he was a healthy teen. Maybe the hive's mating season within him might've made him a little more bolder than usual, but Shino knew that his own feelings for Hinata grew stronger. He couldn't help but grow fonder of her.

"Shino-kun…" Hinata said with a small smile towards him. "Your hive…it's mating season, isn't it?"

Shino, quite flustered, released his grip on her wrists and bolted upwards. He knew that Hinata was astute (well, she also had the Byakugan too, though…perhaps she was aware of his feelings towards her?) and she was fine tuned to other people's emotions. Even his, even when they weren't as open and noticeable to others.

"I'm sorry," Shino said, turning away so she wouldn't see his face. Underneath his sunglasses, he was secretly crying. He made a fool of himself!

"Shino-kun…"

He felt a warm pair of arms wrap around his waist and Hinata rested her delicate chin upon his shoulder.

"I want you to know something…" Hinata said as her grip became tighter. "That I really care about you…and think about you as more than a friend. I hope that…one day, we could…"

Shino broke from her grip and turned to face her, before he wrapped his own arms around her and held her tight. Hinata relaxed into his grip and let out a little sigh of contentment, and she buried her face in his chest while he kissed the top of her head gently. The hive within him purred, and they started to swarm in a frenzy within him as his body temperature rose.

"Hinata," Shino said. "I'm…burning up."

"Okay," Hinata said while she gently guided him onto the ground once more and hovered her hands over his body. "I'm going to use a certain technique to cool you down."

Her palms started to flare with a blue aura, a collection of chakra that she sent through his skin pores to help cool down Shino himself and the hive within while they hummed and roared and growled. Shino flushed, finding the act…very erotic somehow. Was this a pretense to other things?

"Hinata, what kind of technique is this?" Shino asked out of curiosity.

"Well, um," Hinata flushed a little while she continued to move his hands up and down his body. "It's just to cool you down, but I also heard that it…it could be used for erotic pleasure? I trust that you feel comfortable though, Shino-kun?"

"Much," Shino said, before casting his gaze towards the darkening sky. "Will you watch the stars with me?"

"O-Of course," Hinata said, before lying down on her back next to Shino. She then searched for his hand on the ground and clasped it tightly.

Shino clasped her hand in return while the hive within him sighed with relief.


End file.
